


Distress

by Kittypride13 (orphan_account)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Horror, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Jumpscare, Monsters, debatebly scary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 06:15:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16382885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Kittypride13
Summary: The castle of lions receives a distress signal from a mysterious source and Keith goes missing while checking it out.





	Distress

**Author's Note:**

> I recommend listening to something creepy while reading.

The planet was quiet and gray. Shifting sands and the whistle of the wind were the only sounds. Keith frowned as he checked the map Pidge had given him. The red lion set down next to the mountain in question. The shadows within made an uneasy feeling settle in his stomach. Maybe he should have agreed to let Lance come with him. Then again, Pidge had said there were no life signs besides the meager plant life on the planet. It was just a short scouting mission. Go in, find out what had happened if he could, turn of the distress beacon, come right back out and meet up with the others on a nearby planet to finish up with the diplomatic stuff.

He'd be fine.

Red rumbled in his head as he exited. The planet was colder than he'd been expecting. His paladin armor kept him warm of course, but the chill still nipped at him regardless. Wind was rather good at that he found. The coldest desert nights having been ones when the wind howled across the sandy wastes. He turned on his helmet's night vision function. The world was tinted yellow. Red grumbled again. He glanced over at her, silhouetted against the gray sky and weak light of the planet's sun.

"I'll be fine Red."

And he entered the cave.

The cave wasn't a natural formation. He was pretty sure of that, the smoothness of the walls were the first hint. Then when he saw the carvings it became clear. Tall aliens dressed like soldiers keeping lonely watch from the tunnel walls as he passed them. Their glassy eyes almost seemed to watch him as he went. The tunnel narrowed, sloping downwards and the soldiers inched closer. The wind sang in the emptiness and the uneasy feeling that had been eating at him since he arrived grew. Still, he had a job to do. He reached back through his bond for Red and received a comforting rumble in return.

A shiver ran through Keith as he passed through the ruined gates. Looking at them he could still see the damage. Like they'd been hammered open by some invading force. The statues at the entrance had been damaged as well. He looked up, the ceiling of the cavern was nowhere in sight but he could see the walkways and shadowy forms of buildings high above. He moved past the gate. Thankful for Pidge's map, looking at the shadowy expanse of a city before him, it was clear he didn't really have time to search everywhere. Hopefully he'd find enough answers to satisfy Allura in wherever the beacon was. The silence was getting to him, it wasn't like the quiet of the desert. Or how the castleship was silent when everyone finally fell asleep and he sat on the observation deck to watch the starts. The silence here was...waiting.

Keith wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was waiting for.

The buildings he passed were largely untouched. Not that that eased his growing paranoia. Thankfully, he reached his destination without much trouble. Ahead of him, right where Pidge's glowing dot indicated the beacon to be, was a massive building. It reminded him of a cathedral. The soaring spires and stained-glass windows were almost gothic in style but also clearly alien. What human would ever choose red glass? Four spindly trees lined the path up to the door. Whip-like branches swayed and Keith couldn't shake the image of grasping fingertips from his mind. He cast an uneasy glance back as he approached the doors.

The shadows betrayed nothing.

============================================================================================================

Shiro was officially worried.

When Keith didn't show up in time for the show he was a little anxious but not all that worried. He pretty much figured that Keith had decided to skip out of diplomacy and would be waiting for them back at the castle. Shiro would have another talk with him about how diplomacy was just as important to their mission as battle was and Keith would sigh irritably. But, Keith wasn't back at the castle. There had been no communication from him for the past six vargas. It was unlike Keith to go so long without some sort of report back. The red lion wasn't giving of a signal either.

It was unsettling to say the least.

"Paladin's," Allura began somberly, "I must warn you to be careful. Without any additional information, I can't tell what you'll be up against."

Shiro nodded. "Don't worry Allura. I'm sure we can handle it." He smiled as reassuringly as he could. Internally though, he wasn't sure of anything.

============================================================================================================

Keith thought he heard something behind him. A skittering, something moving in his direction, but when he turned to look, nothing was there. He let his bayard materialize anyway.

He continued walking. Every so often he would stop and scan around him. Nothing changed.

He didn't know how long he'd been walking for. The place was a maze and it wasn't like Pidge could make him a map of somewhere they hadn't even known existed. He was beginning to think that it might just be a better idea to find a way out and never come back. He tried his comm again. Nothing but static. It wasn't a big deal, as soon as Shiro realized he wasn't back he'd come. Keith just had to either find his own way out or wait a few vargas for his team.

The skittering was back.

Keith whipped around. Once again, he saw nothing. This time though, he knew it wasn't his imagination. He had definitely heard something. He let his shield form as well. There was no way this strange creature in the dark was benevolent. If Horror movies had taught him anything it was that. Whatever was out there, he sure as hell didn't want to meet it.

The silence stretched on.

Then a weight dropped down onto his head.

============================================================================================================

Hunk did not like horror movies.

In fact, he could say with no embarrassment that he found them terrifying.

So, the fact that this mission was shaping up like one was not something he found encouraging in the least. They stared down the pit in the floor.

"So...you think he fell down there?" He asked anxiously.

Pidge frowned. "His jetpack must have been damaged somehow."

Lance looked over at the black paladin. "What do we do now Shiro?"

"We go in after him. Keep together though. The last thing want is to get lost down here."

"I'll set a tracker here so we can find our way back if w do get lost." Pidge added once they were at the bottom. They waited anxiously as she set it. The hallway stretched out in opposing directions. There really was no way of knowing which way Keith had gone. Hunk wished that the red paladin had stayed put. It would have made the whole thing easier on his nerves.

The green paladin's voice rang out in the quiet."Ok. Let's go."

They descended into darkness.

============================================================================================================

Keith held his bayard in a white-knuckled grip and listened. He couldn't hear anything but the harsh pant of his breath. That didn't mean much though. He got to his feet again. he had to keep moving.

============================================================================================================

They had been wandering cautiously for a while when they saw it.

Keith's helmet.

It was lying forgotten in the hall. Shiro ran over to pick it up, a rare curse escaping his mouth.

"Well I guess now we know why he wasn't responding." Pidge commented softly.

"Umm, Shiro?" That was Hunk, they turned to look at him. He was standing near the wall, pointing at an ominous stain. "This...it's not Keith's blood right?"

A dark look overcame the black Paladin's face as he powered up his arm. "I don't think we're alone down here."

Lance glanced down the corridor anxiously. "Great. So now we have to find mullet and avoid being alien food."

Shiro seemed to ignore that. "Lance, watch our backs. Pidge, I want you to keep trying to get that tracker on Keith's armor to work. No one leaves the group. Hunk, you just make sure we all stay together."

"Yes sir."

"You got it Shiro."

"O-ok. I can do that."

"Let's move."

============================================================================================================

The skittering was back.

whatever it was moved with no clear pattern. It could probably tell exactly where he was. He activated his shield and was pleasantly rewarded with a slight glow. This way he might be able to at least see what it was that attacked him. He could hear his blood pumping in his ears.

Eyes gleamed in the dark and he slashed at it with a yell. Then he was screaming as it tore at his shield arm, ripping off the plating and tearing trough his skin. There was a sickening squelch as he flung it off and then more skittering as it disappeared into the darkness.

He stared after it for a moment as he fought to get his frantic breathing under control.

It was hunting him. He knew that now. Not that he could do much about it. The image of that eldritch horror reattaching it's decapitated skull was going to haunt him for a while. He couldn't kill it. All he could do was defend himself and run. If only he knew how to get out, right now, he was trapped in this labyrinth trying desperately not to die.

There was a scraping sound to his left. Keith pressed himself against the wall as something new approached the corner. Wait for it. Wait for it. NOW! He turned the corner with a vicious swing of his sword.

Clang!

His eye went wide as he recognized the face behind the slightly luminous helmet.

"Shiro?"

============================================================================================================

The two paladin's stared at each other for a moment before either lowered their weapon. Shiro's eyes went wide as he took in his little brother's appearance. "Keith! What happened to your face?"

It was quite the sight. From the bottom of his jaw to his eyebrow long gouges marred his face, making a sticky mess on the left side of it. His left eye was shut, and whether that was damaged was yet to be seen. The rest of his face was scratched and pale, though a bruise colored his cheek an unhealthy yellow-green. Keith batted his hand away. Wild eyes focusing instead on the rest of them. "We need to leave. Now." There was a strange urgency to his voice.

Shiro wasn't that easily deterred. He could see now that it wasn't just Keith's face that was damaged. "Keith wha-"

Keith cut him off before he could even finish the question."NOW!"

"I'm pretty sure I can get us back to the hole." Pidge responded after a moment of surprise.

Tucking his injured arm to his chest and taking his helmet back he began to follow Pidge, leaving the others with no choice but to follow. No one spoke. The first time Lance had tried Keith nearly took off his head and Shiro had to take his bayard. He let it go with a surprising lack of resistance. But remained on edge. Shiro was just thinking they'd gotten out of it safe when he heard a peculiar skittering sound behind him.

============================================================================================================

Keith could see the place where he'd fallen through. Broken floorboards littered the dusty stone. He let out a small relived breath. The other's had jetpacks that worked. They could get out and never see this planet again. Then he heard it. He froze for a moment as Shiro asked the question he was dreading. "Did you guys her that?"

Hunk glanced over his shoulder. "Hear what? Wait, Keith buddy? Are you ok?"

Keith swore and grabbed Shiro's arm. "We need to get out of here." He glanced back, careful to check the ceiling as well. They had to get out before it came back. He really didn't want to find out if the other bayards could kill that thing. He had a feeling it had been playing with him before, who knows what it could do if it went for the kill. Shiro stumbled after him. Apparently he'd made it clear enough that they needed to leave.

He didn't calm down again until he was back in Red.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this Halloween horror fic. I've never written horror before so I'd be interested to hear what you think.


End file.
